Typographical distributing machine



May 31, 1932. A. w. F. GUEST TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Oct. -1. '1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 31, 1932. A. w. F. GUEST TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 1. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M d/7M??? Patented May 31, 1932 unrrso stares :PQATENT sO FFICE".

ALFRED w. r. GUEST, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGNoR TOYMERGENTHAILERL'INOP- TYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TYPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTING MACH NE Application fiIed'October 1, 1930. Seria1 No.485,G32l

This invention relates to typographical distributing machines, such'as linotype machines of the general organization represented in Letters Patent of the United States to O;

6 Mergenthaler, No. 466,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from :a magazine in theorder in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed linetransferred to the face of 10 a slotted mold-,the mold filled with molten zine'from which they started. a

metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter. returned through distributing mechanism to the maga- In their circulation through the machine, the matrices are supported at times by distributing teeth formed in a thin web portion located at their upper ends, and at other times by means of projecting ears located attheir opposite edges, two at the topand two at the bottom. Ordinarily in the case of a wide or thick matrix, the distributing teeth-areilocated at'one side of the matrix, whilethe projecting ears all in the same plane) are located at the opposite side'of the matrix As a result of such off-center location of the projecting ears, these wide or thick matrices when supported by theirv upper ears alone have a tendency to, and they actually do,

rock or tilt about their upper ears as a fulcrum and hang slantwise from the supporting rails of the organ which at the time is carrying them.

,This objectionable condition becomes more pronounced during the transfer of the composed line from the first elevator into the upper transfer channel, when the matrices are supported in the first elevator solely by their upper projecting ears and are obliged to present their distributing teeth in line with Itthe ribbed bar of the second elevator. frequently happens that, at this time and for the reasons stated, the matricesare so badly slanted that their distributingteeth'are located altogether too low to engage the ribbed bar of the second elevator and hence are left behind when the second elevator ascends to' deliver the matrices to the distributing mechanism proper. -'As a result, the matrices are swept out of the upper transfer. channel along with the spacebands and areeither improperly' delivered to the spacer I magazine, or are spilled" into'the m achine,agiving rise to considerable annoyance,.inconvenience and delays. a I

vThe present invention is intended to overa come these" and otherobjections and contemplates the provision of means for maintain 7 onto thesecon d elevator bar. In the embodiment illustrated, these means are in the form V a of a pair of spring-actuated plates or detents located at the entrance of the upper transfer 7 channel vand arranged to engage thelower proj ectingears ofthe matrices during transfer. In this way, even though any ,of the matrices may hang slantwise in the first ele vator, they willbe straightened up under the influence of the spring-actuated platesorcdetents as they enter the upper transfer ,channel andbefore their distributingteeth reach 5 the ribbed bar of the second elevator. As a result the distributing teeth of the matrices will be properly aligned with the ribs on the second elevator bar and thus guided accu rately into engagement therewith. 5 "It is recognized that the scheme of straighteninglup the matrices duringftransfer is broadly-old, being disclosed in the- Muehleisen Patent No.-1,645',615, dated'Octov ber18, 1927. However, the presentinvention constitutes a valuable improvement over this prior patented arrangement for severalreasons. In the first place, thespring-actuated plates or detents herein proposed are cient, and particularly since they act on the much simpler to manufacture and install, i I and in the second place, they are more eflimatrices-successively during transfer instead of. only on the leading matrix of the composedlineQ V Referring to the drawings: i

a Fig. 1 isafront elevation of a portion of a linotype machine'showingthe invention as applied thereto; a

" Fig. 2 isian enlarged sectional view show I inga composed line in process of transfer spring-actuated plates or detents cooperate therewith; v Fig. 4 1s a similar view showing the slanted matrix of Fig. 3 as havlng been strai htened up by the spring-actuated plates or de-' tents and Fig. .5 is a detail view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Theline of matrices-X and spacebands Y,

' after being composed, is transferred to the first elevator A and later -aftercastins earfried up by that elevator into registration with the upper transfer channel B, which. at the time contains the ribbed bar C ef the second elevator C, all as shown in 1 and 2. I i-this condition of the-parts, a line transfer carriage D is operated to shift the composed line out of the first elevator and into the upper trans-fer channel, the matrices X being expected byvirtuo of their distributing teeth X to pass-into engagement with the ribbed bar C of the secondelevator, and the spacebands Y being expected (because of the absence of distri-bi'iting teeth) to clear the bar C and become supported by their ears Y on the customary rails of the upper transfer channel. Thereafter the second elevator C ascends to deliver the matricestoithe distributing mechanism proper, leaving the spaceba-nds behind to betransferred to their storage magazine by a spaceband pawl or gripper not shown. The foregoing parts and" their 'mode of operation are'so well known; that any further description would be superfluous. a I V As shown, the matrices X are provided with upperand lower pairs of projecting ears X and X respectively, these cars being located at the right or leading side of the matrices while the distributing teeth X are located at the left or following side of the matrices. In the case of the thicker matrices, the projecting ears are located well to one side of'the center of gravity, and consequently when the matrices are supported solely by their upper projecting ears X as they are in thefirst elevator A from the cus tomary rails A they are free tov assume a slanted or inclined position somewhat as indicated in Fig. 1, it'being noted that in the raised position of the elevator shown the com posed line is slack or'loose due to the relaxa- ,tion of the justifying'spacebandsY. In such slanted position of the matrices, their distributing teeth X are likewise slantedrand moreover (being remote from the "fulcrum? ing point of the upper ears) fall below the line istransferred from the first elevator t those matriceswhich are standingaslant at the time will fail to engage the second elevator bar C and hence will not be distributed.

In overcoming the foregoing objections, the upper transfer channel B is provided at its entrance with yielding means arranged to engage the matrices successively during their transfer from the first elevator A in order to maintain themin an erect or truly vertical position for proper engagement with the second elevator bar, The yielding means herein shown are constituted by apair of spring-actuated plates or detents E arranged at the entrance of the upper transfer channel and in position to engage simultaneous- 1y with the outer edges of the lower project'- ing ears of the matrices- VVhile-other forms might be suitable, the springactuated detents each comprise a bent plate presenting a main body portion E slidable tra'nsve'rsely j in the sidewall of the upper transfer channel, an outer portion E adapted by its engagement with the outer face of thechannel side wall to act'as a stop in limit-ingthe inward movement ofthe 'detent, and an inher ll'latllX' engaging portion ll arranged.

in the path, of'the lower matrix ears X or just above the customary matrix supporting rails B formed on the opposite side walls of the upper transferchannel at its entrance. To facilitate their engagement with and disengagementfrom the matrix ears,-thedetent "portions E are beveled or rounded off at detent portions must overcome the resistance of thesprings by camming the ,detent portions backwardly or outwardly from the path of the matrices. Theaction of the spring-actuated detents is graphically illustrated in Figs. 3'and at. In the former figure, a wide matrix is shown astilted toward the right and with its lower ears X about to engage the detents E. When such engagement takes place, the ,detents offer sufficient braking resistance to prevent the lower ears from passing, this braking resistance being continued until thematrix under the pushing influence of'the transfer carriage D is rocked backabout its upper ears X as a fulcrum to an upright or vertical po-f sit-ion (see Fi 4), at. which time it willlie flatly against the'followin'g matriXin the line or, if the matrix happens to be the last one in the line, flatly up against thematrix engaging plate of the transfer carriage (see Fig. 2). ,lVhile the detents'will. continue to offer their braking resistance, the continued movement of the transfercarriage will force]: the leading matrix past .the detents, ca'mming them back as in Fig. 4; The extent nt portions of the straight parallel portions 6 of the deregard to thickness, will be maintained in an upright or erect position during its transfer from the first elevator to the second elevator.

It will be observed that, due to the stationary mounting of the spring-actuated detents, they are caused to engage all the.

matrices of the composedline in succession,

acting nrst upon the leading matrix of the line as in Fig. 2, and then upon each succeeding matrix in turn as it leaves the first l elevator and enters the upper transfer channel for engagement with the second elevator lJ11.- Hence the maintenance of the indivi dual matrices of a composed line in erect position during transfer is not dependent upon the preceding matrices, so that any looseness in the line which mighttake place after the leading matrices are carried past the detents will not interfere with'the action of the detents in straightening up the following matrices as they become the leading ones. Moreover, by engaging each succeeding matrix at its opposite edges, the detents serve to prevent the individual matrices from turning or twisting about a longitudinal axis during transfer and thus insure the proper engagement of their distributing teeth with the second elevator bar. These and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art. I a It will now be appreciated that the novel arrangement herein shown and described constitutes a Valuable and substantial im-- provement over the prior arrangement shown in the Muehleisen patent before referred to, being as before stated, not only easier and less expensive to manufacture and install, but in addition stronger and more durable and far more efiicient in performing the required function of straightening up the matrices The invention has been shown only in preferred form and by way of example, but obviously many changes and variations therein and in its mode of application will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. It will be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except in so far as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Ina typographical distributing machine equipped with matrices formed with projecting ears at their upper ends at one side of their center of gravity, the combination of a line transporter having rails upon which 7 the matrices are supported; by their upper projectingearg-a' second transporter to re-' ceive thematrices Ifrom the first, means for" transferring-thematrices from the first to the second'transporter, and yielding means arrangedin a fixed position to engage the matrices successively during their transfer to maintain them in an erect, position. r 2. A comblnation as 1n clannl character ized by the fact that the yieldingmeans there I i in referred to comprise a spring-actuated plate or detent adapted to engage thelower ends of the matrices tostraighten-them up from a slanting "position.- a

,3. A combination as specified characterized by the fact that the yielding means therein referred to are in the form-of a. pair-of spring-actuated plates or 'detents adapted to engage the opposite edges ofthe matrices at thelr lower endsto straighten them. up from a slanting position. 1 g

4 In a typographicaldistributing machine equipped with matrices formed 1 at their upper ends with distributing teeth and with projecting ears located at one-:side of their center of gravity, the combination of aline transporter having rails upon which the so v matrices aresupported by their projecting I ears, agsecond transporter ,to receive the 'matrices fromthe :first ,and comprising a ribbed bar to supportthe matrices their distributing teeth, means for transferring the matrices from the firstto the second trans:

porter, ands-yielding Ineansarranged a fixed position to engagethematrices. suecessively during their transfer to maintaln teeth become engaged with of the second transporter.

the ribbedv bar .5; In a machine ofthelinotype class, the v combination of a firstelevator having rails upon which the matrices are supportedby their upper projecting ears, an upper transfer channelinto whiclrthe composed line of matrices and spacebands s transferred,.=a

second elevator having a ribbed bar to support, .the matrices by their distributing teeth, and yielding means. located in a' fixed posi-,

'tionat the entrance, of the-uppertransfer combination of a first elevator having rails upon which the matrices ,are supported their upper projecting ears,'an upper transfer channel into which'the composed line'o'f matrices and spacebandsj istransferred, a

second elevator having aribbed bar to supef port the-matrices by their distributing teeth,

' and a spring-actuatedplate or detent located in a fixed position at, the entrance of the upper transfer channel and arranged to engage the lower end of the leading matrix of a composed line to maintain it in an erect posi- V tion during transfer. 7

1 00 them in an erect position as their distributing v 7. 111' a-inachineof the linotype class, the

combinationfof a first elevator'having rails i uponwhich the matrices are supported by their upper projecting ears, an upper transfer channel into whichthe composedline of matrices and spacebands is transferred, a second elevator having aribbed bar to support the'matrices by their distributing teeth,

and a pair' of spring-actuated plates or detent'slocated in a fixed position at the en-' trance of'the upper transfer channel and ardetents with the matrices;

ranged toengage the lower projecting ears of the leading matrix of-a composed line and maintain -it in an erect position during transfer. 7 V

8. A combination as specified in claim 6 characterized by the fact that the springactuated plates therein referred to are located immediately above'the supporting ledge or rails formed atthe entrance of the upper transfer channel and upon which the lower ears of the matrices are supported during 1' transfer. 7 j

9. A combination as specified in claim 7, characterized by the fact that the spring actuated plates or detents therein referred to are slidable transversely in the side walls of the upper transfer channel and are provided with stop portions to limit the extent of their projection into saidchannel.

10. A-combination as specified in claim 7, characterized by the fact that the springactuated plates or detents therein referred to are each formed at its matrix engaging portion with beveled or rounded ends to facilitate the cooperation-of the plates'or 11. A'combination as specified in claim7,

characterized by the fact that the springactuated plates or detents thereinreferred to have matrix engaging portions of 'sufiicient extent to maintaintheir engagement with the matrices until the distributing teeth of 1 said matrices become engaged with the ribbed bar of the second elevator;

12. In or for a machine of the linotype class, an upper transfer channel provided at its entrance with a springeactuated plate or 'detent arranged in position to engage the lower projecting ears of matrices entering said channel, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed by: V v 1 e I ALFRED W. F. GUEST. 

